


It's Only Rain, Sugar

by Shellbacker



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Banter, Dancing in the Rain, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Height Differences, Kissing in the Rain, Public Display of Affection, Smoking, Stress Relief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 10:17:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11781072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shellbacker/pseuds/Shellbacker
Summary: ... You won't melt.





	It's Only Rain, Sugar

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ABTwrites](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABTwrites/gifts).



> Now entering Rarepair Hell. Enjoy your stay ;)

“Evening, Piper,” Ham greeted her at the Third Rail’s entrance, a freshly lit cigarette between his fingers. From what the reporter had noticed every visit, the club’s resident bouncer only smoked when the rabble downstairs was behaving.

“Hey, Ham.” Piper closed the door behind her. The night’s relentless wind finally lost its grip on the frock of her trench coat. “Quiet night, huh?”

If it was, it would be perfect. Only one more variable remained.

Piper had been at the edges of the Commonwealth for the last three weeks. She happened to be visiting Nick when a very disgruntled parent burst through the door of his agency. There was no way the journalist or the detective could pass up a kidnapping case. The more fuel Piper had for an exclusive to rail against Diamond City’s poorly delegated security, the better.

Only, there was a peculiar thing about this parent. They insisted on going with the pair to investigate. It was unusual, but not unheard of. Hell, it was downright understandable! Piper knew if someone ever took Nat, she wouldn't rest until she was found.

And so, they set out. But eventually, like most kidnapping cases, this one hit a dead end and the parent suggested they break for a while. Nick refused to take time off, of course. He didn’t need to sleep, nor did he have a craving for a hot meal. It wasn’t like his smoking habit was an addiction either. Synths didn’t suffer from such disadvantages. Piper ran out of smokes a week and a half in. The lack of nicotine coursing through her veins was leaving her mildly irritable, to say the least. Diamond City would’ve been her first choice for more. She had a stash of cigarettes in her desk.

But Goodneighbor was closer, and home to someone she missed horribly, someone who could do a lot more for her than any drug.

“Mags in?” she asked, letting her spoken thought interrupt the ghoul’s response.

He flicked a short stream of ash from his hand, careful not to hit his polished shoes. Ham was silent for a moment and turned his head towards the descending stairs behind them. Clamoring and music reached their ears.

“Sounds like it,” he said, stepping aside. “Just don’t cause any trouble with Marowski's boys again. They don’t like being talked into corners, and I don’t want to deal with it.”

“I got it the first time, Ham.” She pointed her finger up at him as she passed. “And that _wasn’t_ my fault.”

An affirmative, likely sarcastic huff was the last Piper heard from him. The ruckus of the Third Rail reverberated up the stairwell. She made out Magnolia’s voice from behind the stereo’s blaring saxophone, piano, and percussion rhythm. Knots already began to form in her throat.

A handful of patrons lounged about, all preoccupied with their company. As Magnolia finished a song, they clapped, some cheered and whistled idly, but didn’t offer that much more attention. The singer ran her palms over her sparkling red dress and cleared her throat away from the microphone. She was about to head offstage for water when she spotted a flash of crimson sitting down near the back. Piper’s press cap was unmistakable.

Magnolia felt a smile form as she looked toward the darkened end of the club. She quickly signaled Whitechapel Charlie with two fingers to her mouth, then pointed. Without a word, the robot hovered over to the stereo and hit a button, then proceeded to the back of the club where Piper sat.

“This next one’s dedicated to a… special someone in the audience tonight,” she spoke into the mic. A lighter sparked and ignited near the back and Magnolia’s heart fluttered, nearly making her miss the opening lyric. She swayed side to side as she sang.

 _"I see you lookin’ ‘round the corner_ ,” she began, her siren’s voice gently rolling over the words. _“Come on inside and pull up a chair… No need to feel like a stranger ‘cause we’re all a little strange in here.”_

Piper took a drag and closed her eyes, letting Magnolia’s amplified voice rumble through her. The way she sang, the way she spoke - it was so soothing. The closer she was, the more it felt like butterflies fluttered wildly in her stomach. It only made the sensation stronger knowing that Magnolia was keen to it all - just how much Piper loved her. Sometimes, she wondered if Magnolia really knew just how easily she could melt her trouble away - _just by talking and singing -_ which was often the complete opposite of what Piper could do with her words, at least to her knowledge. For some reason, that lovely woman on the stage took a liking to her anyway.

In truth, Piper positively intrigued the jazz singer. It wasn’t often the reporter came around to Goodneighbor, but when she did, she usually stopped in the Third Rail for a drink or two. Most times when she sat at the bar, cocky idiots tried their luck with her. They never succeeded. She handled herself spectacularly, often silencing them with a decisive cut from her silver tongue. Other times, patrons would recognize her and strike up a less selfish conversation, ask what she was looking into, what brought her to town - that is, if they didn’t happen to be the subject of her investigation. The stories Magnolia overheard were riveting and dangerous.

And then the shootout happened.

She had that night off and thanked the stars she wasn’t there, but part of her wished she witnessed it. Piper held out against four goons, killing three of them before the last managed to flee with a couple rounds in his shoulder, according to Charlie. Miraculously, no one else got hurt. She held a newfound respect for the journalist and dare she say, an even bigger attraction. The next time Piper wandered in weeks later, Magnolia had a harder time performing, though no one picked up on her mild shortness of breath but her.

It wasn’t until they sat beside each other at the bar between songs that the wall between them came crashing down. Unlike the bold, determined, and confident demeanor Piper carried herself with, she became a bit of a red-faced mess when Magnolia was near, throwing her bashful compliments and not much else.

“I heard about the gun fight a couple weeks ago,” Magnolia said, making an attempt to turn the tables and commend Piper for once. “Real brave, what you did. Not many people ‘round here got the kind of guts it takes to stand up to those gangsters.”

Piper grinned coyly and took a swig. “All, uh, in a day’s work, ma'am,” she sputtered, a splash of beer still in her throat.

Once she managed to swallow, she tried to compliment Magnolia on her singing again but then it happened. Piper’s tongue slipped on innuendo and she couldn’t recover or hold the singer’s disarming blue gaze any longer. Not one to beat around the bush, Magnolia called her out on it.

“Sugar,” she said with a quick curve of her lips. She rested an elbow on the bar while gliding a finger around the rim of her glass. Containing the excitement was a difficult task. It was even harder to keep it from her sultry tone, though some crept through. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

Piper looked at her, eyes already wide in shock, a bright and dense shade of red taking over more than just her cheeks. “Well, um, no! I mean, _maybe._ I’m just, just, uh - _talking._ That’s what’s going on between, between us!” She sighed, heat writhing inside her chest. “ _Hoo boy_. You, uh, don’t find it... a little hot in here?”

She looked away as fast as she could while she tried to appear cool. Her lips swiftly found the rim of her bottle. It was her fourth beer so far that night. Safe to say, she was feeling quite toasty. Magnolia smiled again and saw Piper looking at her through the corner of her eye. Act or not, seeing the strong reporter reduced to a flustered heap was darn adorable.

“It’s just you, darling,” she said.

The reporter nearly choked on her drink.

As the saying goes: the rest was history. Piper stopped by every time she was in that part of Boston and they would talk late into the night. The singer told her about the local happenings and bar brawls, the odd praise she received from admirers. Eventually, they started slipping out of the club during Magnolia’s breaks. At the end of it all, Piper always walked her home, iron strapped tight on her hip.

The song finished and Magnolia stepped off the stage. Sparse clapping and a lone cheer filled in the brief silence before the radio was turned on. Piper watched her approach the bar and get her usual glass of water before heading her way. Her dress shimmered as she moved under the light until she crossed into the shadow’s threshold. They spotted each other’s growing smiles as Magnolia reached Piper’s table.

The fatigue which had crept into her steps became clearer the closer she got, but _damn, she was magnificent_ , Piper thought.

“There she is,” Magnolia beamed.

“Hey, Mags,” she stammered, her heart jumping higher in her throat as the woman didn’t stop to sit across from her as she usually did. Instead, she walked around the table, two fingers  walking along the surface as she deposed her glass. Piper extinguished her cigarette just in time.

She stiffened slightly as her cap was pulled from her head, Magnolia’s fingers delving into her warm black hair until she reached the back of her neck. With a welcoming smile, she pulled her a little off the chair and leaned down. Their lips connected and Piper’s breath caught as her arms flew over Magnolia’s. She pulled herself and the singer back down, deepening the kiss. Neither heard a moan, but their shared, muted noise buzzed inside their mouths. A jolt of heat washed over them right before their lips parted much too soon, leaving Piper breathless and Magnolia with an even wider grin than before.

“Nice of you to stop by, Piper. Been a while,” she said, hands still brushing through her hair and replacing strands that had fallen over her face. Piper exhaled deeply, feeling her limbs weakening even while seated. She looked up at her, those ocean blue irises still as piercing as ever, even in the darkness.

Piper tried to swallow in vain. “You’ve, uh, never kissed me at work before.”

Magnolia’s arms fell around her neck as she turned to look over the club. Her fingers grazed the reporter’s ear lobe and she leaned into the touch, sighing.

“No one’s paying any attention, anyway,” she remarked, returning her soft gaze to Piper’s reddening visage. Tonight was supposed to be a night off too. She grew bored with kicking around her abode and watching the storm brew outside.

“How about you and I get out of here, darling?” Magnolia continued, tracing Piper’s jaw with a finger and luring her up for another kiss. It felt like the room had jumped several degrees despite a draft. Their lips parted slightly and they fell further into the caress. The tip of Magnolia’s tongue brushed Piper’s lip just as she pulled away, leaving the latter to groan softly. “I need some fresh air.”

“And here I thought I was ‘the breath of fresh air’ you keep telling me I am,” Piper voiced with a crook of her fingers to quote the line. Magnolia smiled, incapable of resisting the urge to kiss her once more time. Piper sat up straighter and slid her hands under the singer’s arms, her cold gloves heading to the back of her neck as she returned the embrace eagerly. Magnolia retreated again and Piper cursed. It always ended too soon.

“Darling, all I’m getting from you right now is stale tobacco and sugar bombs.”

“Girl’s gotta eat,” purred the reporter. “Now quit teasing me… and get your coat.”

The singer departed from Piper’s side, winking and tugging lightly on her green scarf as she stepped away.

“Right away, Miss Wright,” she cooed.

Piper scanned the room as Magnolia reached the bar again. She breathed a sigh of relief that no one was observing them. PDA was bad press - for both of them. She may have shown the goons who was boss, but they still operated in town. It was dangerous to show that kind of affection so openly, especially in her line of work. The last thing she wanted was-

 _No_. Piper wouldn’t go there. It always felt warmer when they were together and she was going to bask in it as long as she could before another story pulled her away again.

_Positive thoughts, Piper. Be happy! Look at how untroubled she is, how unbelievably content she looks with you. You love her and you know damned well she loves you. You’d be an idiot to waste your time! You’re not an idiot, are you? Didn’t think so._

Charlie and a few patrons waved Magnolia goodbye as the pair proceeded up the stairs, fingers lazily intertwined. It was odd that even after so long together, physical contact as simple as holding hands still managed to elicit such a warm, comfortable head space. It was like magic.

Ham was seated now, his right leg raised and crossed over his left thigh. A mound of black-grey remains filled his ashtray with accompanying cigarette butts. His foot was actually bobbing in the air to the beat of the radio. He nodded as they passed, the stench of his chain smoking wafting into their noses. An easy night, indeed.

The storm which had been building all evening was in full swing. Rain assaulted the door as the wind tried rocking it from stubborn hinges. It wasn’t a radiation storm, thankfully. There was a certain taste those left in your mouth if you were caught in the middle of one and didn’t happen to notice the green tinge and lightning all around you. Distant thunder rumbled, its force dull against the ground.

Magnolia paused at the door, pressing a palm against it to prevent it from flying open. Lips pursed, she turned her gaze to Piper and smirked quite suddenly. The crinkles by her eyes deepened, her blue irises flared. Piper caught it and felt heat rising to her cheeks. No one’s eyes should be that blue, she thought. Seeing Piper this way only pushed Magnolia’s lips further. Grinning wide, she began to chuckle. Piper had to avert her eyes. Her jaw clenched as her laughter caused her heart to flutter.

“Alright, Mags,” she managed, busying her hands with her pack’s strap. “I’ll bite. What’s so funny?”

“I didn’t bring my umbrella!” she laughed. Piper rolled her eyes, starting to chuckle herself.

“Well, my notes are gonna get ruined anyway.”

Magnolia rubbed her shoulder much in the same way Piper would teasingly console Nat when she complained about something unimportant. “Oh, it’s only rain, sugar. You won’t melt. Might even be fun.”

“Says you.”

Magnolia tsked, then called over her shoulder. “Ham, dear? Can you hold onto Piper's bag for the remainder of the night?”

“I don’t know, Mags. I’m pretty busy here,” he said with deadpan sarcasm.

She glared at him, lips pursed, and swiped Piper’s pack from her shoulder.

“Hey!” the reporter protested, but she knew Magnolia. There would be no getting her bag back if she tried. All it took was a finger running up the underside of her chin, a sweet word, and Piper was putty. It was a skill the singer had perfected over the years somehow. Piper was grateful she used it exclusively with good intentions. She _was_ looking out for her, after all. Magnolia gently rested the bag at Ham’s feet and let go of the strap.

“You owe me for that song you requested earlier,” she pointed out.

Ham looked down at the bag by his foot and ashed his smoke. “Suppose I do,” he said, straight-faced as ever.

“You’re a doll, Ham.” Magnolia turned. “One of us’ll be around tomorrow to get it. Keep it safe, will ya? It’s _very_ important.”

A wall of rain and wind hit them the second they stepped outside. Over the torrent smacking into the side of Piper’s head, Magnolia’s chuckling reached her ears. The singer’s hand found hers again and their fingers locked tighter than before, the rain beginning to permeate their outer layers. The reporter quickly caught her press cap and held it in place on her head.

“You know,” Piper said, nearly hollering to be heard over the storm. “Sometimes, I think all that time holed up down there has turned you batty.” Her partner’s laughter boomed and she found herself trying to suppress a smile.

“You’re the one chasing down unsavoury folk and diving head-first into dangerous places for a living!” she yelled back. Damp black strands of hair whipped in every direction as she pulled her coat’s collar up with a free hand. It flapped back violently onto her shoulders. “ _My_ sanity, on the other hand, is safely grounded, darling!”

Piper squeezed her hand and grinned. They made for an alley across the town square in an effort to escape the wind. She intended to go straight to Magnolia’s apartment, but the singer had other plans as soon as they made it to shelter. Rain fell freely from the roofs surrounding them as Magnolia pulled against Piper’s stride and suddenly threw her arms around her neck and pulled her flush against her body.

“Mags, please,” Piper breathed softly, the edge of caution creeping into her tone. “Not here.”

 _"Shhh_. Let’s enjoy this for a moment, hmm?” Her breath was warm against her cheek. It sent a chill down Piper’s spine as she conceded and wrapped her arms around Magnolia, swaying side to side. She dropped her face into her neck and planted a gentle kiss on her wet skin.

“I missed you a lot,” Piper said. Her lover’s head nudged her softly while she tightened her embrace, rocking side to side.

“Me too,” Magnolia whispered, pausing for several seconds and listening to the thunder echo down the alley. “My days always feel... a little hollow without you around, Piper.”

She felt the reporter’s lips on her neck again and she sighed. Then, without intending to, she began to hum a tune. Goodneighbor unnerved Piper to some degree. She confessed that rather early in their relationship. The streets and alleys gave her a particular anxiety, so Magnolia would sing, whistle, or hum, all low enough so that only Piper could hear when they were close. It helped to quell her worries, and Magnolia wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible in the chunk of ruined Boston she called home.

“It’s only rain,” she repeated, breaking from song momentarily and lowering her forehead onto Piper’s, careful not to lean in too close and step on her toes as they moved. She resumed the tune and slid a hand into her drenched locks, pressing firm circles into the nape of her neck. Piper right away felt more relaxed in her arms. The notes Magnolia carried swam through her ears and paused every thought, every fear, every doubt. As the downpour saturated them, they were left only with each other for warmth, the rest of the world surrendering to the night around them. The rapid and heavy pitter-patter of rain joined Magnolia’s serenade. Their extremities may have been cold, but their cores were positively radiating together.

Piper raised her head from Magnolia’s neck, looking up to her, honeyed eyes gleaming from an alley lamp. “I love you so much,” she mouthed.

Magnolia’s humming trailed off as a wide smile lined her face, cheeks flaring. Her hands retreated from Piper’s shoulders and cupped her face. Pulled to the tip of her toes, the reporter rose to a hungry kiss. Their lips were left soft and slick from the rain. She held Magnolia tighter, sliding her hands up her back, just under her coat until she reached bare skin above the singer’s dress. The sudden touch of cold leather gloves made her gasp sharply into Piper’s mouth. Then their lips broke slightly, breathlessly held an inch apart.

“God, I love you too,” Magnolia breathed.

They nuzzled under the rain, neither truly able to comprehend just how they came to be. So many times they admired each other from afar, then came the meeting, the awkward beginning. Alcohol and cigarettes helped to push those first couple genuine talks, but they thanked the powers that were. Oh, how far they’ve come together, no longer caring to resist the feelings they so often denied themselves.

There was nowhere else they would rather be.

**Author's Note:**

> I ship it.
> 
> Kudos and comments are always very welcome!


End file.
